Breastfeeding at 37 weeks

[rik8144]

So, I am 'full term' tomorrow and DD suddenly wants to nurse all the time! I have been letting her try once a day for a while and sometimes she would go days without asking. In the last 2 days she wants to nurse anytime I am on the couch. Well, it causes contractions with slight back aches and slight cramping.

Should I let her nurse or cut it down? I know nipple stim can help stimulate ocytocin release but will it put me into labor before things are ready on their own?

[jeffsdear]

According to "Adventures in Tandem Nursing" by Hilary Flower (a La Leche League approve book), although nursing releases oxytocin, the body won't interpret those signals to go into labor, unless the baby is basically ready to be born. (Which is probably why so many induced labors don't "take").

[khaoskat]

I have nursed through 2 pregnancies from begining to end. Neither pregnancy had any issues with labor starting before baby was ready because of the nursing.

I would be nursing through this one as well, but DS2 does not like the taste of the colstrum and started striking about 6-8 weeks ago. He tries to latch on every now and then, but let's go when he gets a taste.

[MidwifeErika]

I wouldn't worry about it. You won't go into labor unless you are going into labor on your own soon. There are receptors for all these hormones and those receptors don't notice all the extra oxytocin floating around unless they are primed and ready for labor to start.

I should know, I breastfed with my last pregnancy all the way through and finally was induced 21 days past my due date.

[rik8144]

Thanks for all of the replies! Maybe she knows something is happening soon and is trying to get all the extra mom time she can!